Guide and tensioner for crocheting thread



Jan. 30, 1951 H. E. BOOTH GUIDE AND TENSIONER FOR CROCHETING THREAD Filed March 15, 1949 INVENTOR. HOMEIQ E. BOOTH Patented Jan. 30, 1951 UNITED GUIDE AND TENSIONER FOR CROCHETING THREAD Homer E. Booth, Longview, Wash.

Application March 15, 1949, Serial No. 81,421

In crocheting and like hand work it is highly desirable that the thread be fed to the needle with a uniform tension so as to achieve a uniform quality of work. Such tension may vary with the type of work being done, being greater in some instances and less in others. Normally, the crocheter relies on her own skill in maintaining the desired tension manually. However, many crocheters do not have sufficient skill to main tain a uniform tension throughout the work, whereby work of an uneven quality is produced.

With the foregoing in view, it is an object of my invention to provide an improved device for maintaining a uniform tension on crochet thread as the same is fed to the needle.

A further object is to provide in a device such as that last described means whereby a wide variety of degrees of tension may be achieved in accordance with the type of work being done.

A further object is to provide an improved guide and tensioner for crochet thread which comprises a pair of axially-aligned guides in combination with a second pair of axially-aligned guides, said pairs of guides being ofiset relative to each other, and means for mounting both pairs of guides on a crocheters finger.

Other objects and advantages reside in the particular structure, combination and arrangement of the several parts, and will be readily understood by those skilled in the art upon reference to the attached drawing in connection with the following specification, wherein the invention is shown, described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the device according to the invention in use;

Figure 2 is an enlarged front view of the device;

Figure 3 is a plan view thereof;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the line t-A of Figure 2;

Figures 5, 6 and '7 are views like Figure 3, but showing diiierent ways by which a thread may be threaded through the eyes to produce varying degrees of tension in the thread;

Figure 8 is a view like Figure 3, but showing the device used as a needle holder.

Referring specifically to the drawing, wherein like reference characters have been used through out the several views, and referring at first to I To apply tension to the thread I2, as the same is fed to the needle, it is customary to wrap it about 1 Claim. (01. 242-153) the forefinger I3 of the left hand. This method is unsatisfactory and usually results in too great a tension or tension which varies so as to produce uneven work. With this in view, I have provided a guide and tensioning device, generally indicated at I l, which comprises in its essentials a base I5 and means for mounting the same on the crocheters forefinger I3. In the embodiment illustrated, the device I4 comprises a split finger ring of which the base I5 comprises the arcuate top portion. spring fingers I6 depend from the top portion I5 for resiliently gripping the forefinger I3 to maintain the device I4 in position.

A pair of line-guide-providing eyes I! and I8 are fixed to the top portion I5 in axial alignment. A second pair of line-guide-providing eyes I9 and 2c are likewise fixed to the top portion I5 in axial alignment. However, it is noted that the pairs of eyes are laterally offset relative to each other so as to snub the thread I2 threaded through all of the eyes, as indicated in Figure 3. Also, it is preferred that the pairs of eyes be also longitudinally oifset relative to each other, so as to permit a wide variety of ways of threading the thread I2 through the eyes so as to vary the degrees of tension imparted to the thread. Thus, in Figures 5, 6 and 7, three additional ways of threading the thread I2 through the pairs of eyes have been demonstrated, whereby tension on the thread I2 may be varied in accordance with the quality or type of work being done. Obviously, other methods of threading the thread I2 through the eyes will occur to those skilled in the art.

The eyes Il, I8, I9 and 20 each comprise a wire pigtail whereby the thread I2 may be conveniently applied to the eyes without being threaded therethrough. Also, to retain the thread in position in the eyes, I prefer that each eye of each pair be oppositely twisted. Thus, the eyes I! and I9 have a left-hand twist, while the eyes I8 and 253 have a right-hand twist. Thus, accidental disengagement of the thread I2 from the eyes is prevented.

As shown in Figure 8, the eyes are preferably sized to receive the small end of the needle II therein so as to provide a convenient holder for the needle when the same is not in use.

While I have shown and described what is now thought to be a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of other forms and expressions. Consequently, I do not limit myself to the precise structure shown and described here inabove except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

A thread guide and tensioner for the finger comprising a ring for engagement over the finger, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced pairs of spirally wound thread receiving eyes secured to the ring and projecting radially a limited distance beyond the periphery of the ring, the pairs of the eyes being laterally offset with respect to each other and arranged near opposite sides of the ring, the eyes in each pair being circumferentially spaced and arranged in circumferential alignment, each spirally Wound eye including a plurality of spiral convolutions, each spirally wound eye including a substantially radial end connected with the ring and a free end spaced from the radial end to facilitate the introduction of thread into the eye Without necessitating passing the thread axially through the eye, the free ends of the spirally wound eyes '4 of each pair being spaced apart in opposed circumferentially spaced relation, the eyes of each pair being spirally wound in opposite directions.

HOMER E. BOOTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 392,328 Haile Nov. 6, 1888 1,191,457 Penrod July 18, 1916 2,209,398 Garrett July 30, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 242,038 Great Britain Nov. 5, 1925 723,930 France Jan. 23, 1932 

